Recipes for foods found in

Charleston Conundrum

By Stacy Wilder

Liz’s King Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom soup 8 oz. (2 cups) cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup 1 package corn tortillas

1 can Rotel tomatoes 1white onion diced

1 cup chicken stock 1 green bell pepper diced

rotisserie chicken 1 Tsp ancho chili powder

9×12 baking dish ½ tsp garlic salt 

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place corn tortillas in a bowl and cover with chicken stock. Soak until soft.

Shred chicken. Fine dice onion and bell pepper. Combine soup and cheese in a separate bowl. Use half of the tortillas to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Layer half of the chicken on top followed by half of the onion and green pepper. Follow with half of the cheese/soup mixture.  Season. Repeat. Pour can of Rotel on top.

Bake for thirty minutes. 

Enjoy!

Liz’s Oops Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag of mixed spring greens

I cup of strawberries diced

A few handfuls of blueberries

A few handfuls of raspberries

A few handfuls of blackberries

Wash and dry fresh produce. Toss and serve with your favorite raspberry vinaigrette. Garnish with toasted almonds.  

Charleston Conundrum Cookies

This recipe is compliments of Chef Amber Griffin, Vermont. Chef Amber baked these during When Words Count Pitch Week Competition XXI. She is an amazing chef. Thank you Amber for allowing me to share this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (softened) 1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup pepita seeds

1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour

2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 bag shredded coconut 1 bag Lays potato chips (crushed) 

1/2 bag heath bar bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, and salt together. Add the eggs. Mix well.

Add coconut, heath bits, chocolate chips, pepita seeds, and vanilla. 

Mix and add flour and baking soda. Mix until just combined. Mix in crushed potato chips. Drop on a baking sheet and bake for twelve to fifteen minutes.

Enjoy!

Lou’s Favorite Egg Salad

Ingredients:

eight hard-boiled eggs

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 Tsp. dijon mustard

4 Tsp. chopped celery

4 Tsp. chopped red onion

2 Tsp. dill

garlic salt to taste

pepper to taste

¼ tsp. smoked paprika

fresh dill as garnish

Finely chop the eggs, celery, and red onion and place them in a bowl. Stir in mayo, mustard, dill, garlic salt pepper, and paprika. Garnish with fresh dill. Serve on your favorite bread. Enjoy!

The Conundrum Cocktail

This recipe is compliments of the team at Hugh O’Connor’s Irish Pub, Houston, TX. Hugh O’Connor’s served the cocktail during the book launch party for Charleston Conundrum. Thank you Hugh O’Connor’s team for creating the cocktail and allowing me to share this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 ounce orange vodka

.75 ounces vodka

.75 ounces St. Germaine

.25 ounces Malibu rum

.25 ounces lemon juice

.25 ounces lavender syrup (add more to taste)

Splash of grenadine

Pour ingredients into a martini shaker. Mix, add ice. Shake multiple times. Strain and pour in a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Enjoy!

The Charleston Conundrum Playlist

Available on Spotify – Charleston Conundrum Playlist

1.  Fire and Rain, James Taylor

2. Dancing Queen, ABBA

3. S.O.S., ABBA

4. I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye

5. I Second That Emotion, The Miracles

6. If I Could Turn Back Time, Cher

7. If I Were a Rich Man, Robert Merrill’s version

8. Hello, Adele

9. Edge of Glory, Lady Gaga

10. Wanted Dead Or Alive, Bon Jovi